{"id":12992,"date":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/private-sector-firms-join-forces-to-combat-weeds\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","slug":"private-sector-firms-join-forces-to-combat-weeds","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/private-sector-firms-join-forces-to-combat-weeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Private sector firms join forces to combat weeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and private multinationals in weed control are tying up a model that would tackle the menace of weeds in Africa, thanks to the United State Agency for International Development- MARKETS project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Maize<\/a>
Maize ravaged by Striga. Photo by IITA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public-private sector model seeks to link resource-poor farmers with weed control giants such as Syngenta and Dizengoff, thus guaranteeing the quality of herbicides supplied to farmers. The two companies have agreed to ensure a steady supply of inputs to the farmers at a discounted rate backed by trainings on the safe use of their products. IITA, the provider of the platform, will provide technical backstopping to the model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis initiative will not only control weeds but will also create jobs in the rural communities and boost yield,\u201d says Dr. Gbassey Tarawali, Project Manager, IITA-MARKETS Cassava Value Chain Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization on the negative effects of weeds on agriculture indicates that weeds create more havoc to crops than pathogens such as fungi or insects pests. In Africa where access to farm inputs and labor to control weeds are becoming increasingly scarce, many youths are ab andoning farms in rural communities and rather moving to urban areas for white-collar jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tarawali says the initiative would provide employment for the teeming youths in the rural communities, boost incomes, guarantee food security and make farming more attractive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 150 local youths including women representing 15 farmer groups from the south western part of Nigeria have indicated commitment to the program and were engaged in a training workshop at IITA as a prelude to the take off of the initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syngenta and Dizengoff welcomed the initiative and pledged their support to the scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are going to work with you and give you the necessary support. Besides, this shows that agriculture is now being considered as a business and not just for subsistence reasons,\u201d says Mr. Goodluck Ogu, Syngenta\u2019s National Sales Manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur involvement will guarantee quality supply of herbicides and check profiteering by middlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dizengoff described the initiative as a revolution in agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a dream come true and we will give you all the necessary support,\u201d says the Patrick Ohaji, Manager, Crop Protection and Public Health, Dizengoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInvolving the private sector in research especially extension activities is key to boosting agriculture,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funded by USAID, the MARKETS project is seeking to increase the productivity of cassava in some selected states in Nigeria through cassava value chain approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is an initiative meant to exp and and sustain the on-farm productivity and profitability of cassava. The training of farmers on efficient weed control practices in cassava production is intended to give them a good underst anding of weeds and the cost-effective ways of controlling them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gbassey Tarawali, g.tarawali@cgiar.org<\/a>
Project Manager, IITA-MARKETS Cassava Value Chain Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de communication d'entreprise (international)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de la communication d'entreprise (Afrique de l'Ouest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication Office IITA – Headquarters Ibadan, Nigeria URL: www.iita.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c0 propos de l'IITA<\/b>
L'Afrique est confront\u00e9e \u00e0 des probl\u00e8mes complexes qui minent l'agriculture et la vie des populations. Nous d\u00e9veloppons des solutions agricoles avec nos partenaires pour lutter contre la faim et la pauvret\u00e9. Nos recherches pour le d\u00e9veloppement (R4D), maintes fois r\u00e9compens\u00e9es, reposent sur une r\u00e9flexion cibl\u00e9e et autoris\u00e9e, ancr\u00e9e dans les besoins de d\u00e9veloppement de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Nous travaillons avec des partenaires en Afrique et au-del\u00e0 pour r\u00e9duire les risques pour les producteurs et les consommateurs, am\u00e9liorer la qualit\u00e9 et la productivit\u00e9 des cultures, et g\u00e9n\u00e9rer de la richesse gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l'agriculture. L'IITA est une organisation internationale de R4D \u00e0 but non lucratif cr\u00e9\u00e9e en 1967, dirig\u00e9e par un Conseil d'administration et soutenue principalement par le CGIAR.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and private multinationals in weed control are tying up a model that would tackle the menace of weeds in Africa, thanks to the United State Agency for International Development- MARKETS project.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[],"crop":[66],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[188],"class_list":["post-12992","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","hentry","location-nigeria","crop-cassava","item-year-188"],"yoast_head":"\nPrivate sector firms join forces to combat weeds - 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